Menopause

Diagnosis  of Menopause

At the approxmiate age of 49 years , the period stops. Around this time symptoms and signs start to appear. Cycle becomes irregular, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, hot flashes, red complexion coming and going in waves, very emotional (anger, irritated, sadness, anxiety, etc.), edema, low back and knee weakness / pain, digestive problems, cold limbs, and urinary disorders. These do not come all at once, some women only get a few and some women encounter many. This may last for weeks to years in some cases. In Canada the average age when women make the wise woman transition statistically is 52.

Traditional Chinese Medicine  diagnosis can be divided into 3 things:

1. menstrual cycle gets very irregular, bleed a lot, may be serious hemorrhage. Then may experience very occasional menses until they cease completely. May lose hair from blood .

2. Yang symptoms Yang rises due to Yin (relative Yang ). WM says this is due to blood vessels contraction. Sudden heat break sweat (hot flashes), dizziness, palpitations and rapid pulse.

3. emotional imbalances easy to anger, sadness etc.. Manic behavior, depressed, abnormal, violence, and insomnia are all common. A blood test may show high FSH meaning ovary function has ceased.

Etiology (causes) of Menopause Symptoms:

1. Kidney Yin - pregnancy, menses, breastfeeding and abortions consume Essence and Tian Gui (hormones), Chong and Ren can’t be nourished. This creates hyper Yang rising.

2. Kidney Yang - use of a lot of Kidney Qi for pregnancy, menses, breastfeeding and abortion consume the Ming Men Fire Kidney Yang is and you see cold signs.

Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment of Menopause:

1. Kidney Yin - occasional menses scanty cease completely. Vaginal dryness and itchiness (ph is not regulated properly anymore). Plus – Yin sym. dizzy, tinnitus, insomnia, night sweats, afternoon heat feelings, back/knee pain/weakness, hot flashes w/ sweating, whole body itchiness. T- red w/ scanty coat P- thin rapid

Principle of Treatment: – nourish Kidney Yin

Acupuncture: Bladder 23 and Kidney 3, Spleen 6, Ren 3, Heart 7, Si Shen Cong - irritable- Pericardium 7

Herbal Medicine Formula: Zou Gui Wan (essence) or… Liu Wei Di Huang Wan + Huang Bai, Zhi Mu = Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan + E Jiao, Gui Ban, Bie Jia, He Shou Wu, Nu Zhen Zi

KI Yang HEAVY periods, irregular uterine bleeding, then gradually finish menses completely, T- pale P- deep thin Plus – Yang sym. cold, soft stools, frequency of urine, incontinence, low back/knee weakness/pain, Edema of lower limbs and/or face.

Principle of Treatment: – warm Kidney Yang – strengthen Spleen

Acupuncture: Bladder 23, Ren 4, Du 4, with Moxa, Bladder 15, Spleen 6 - poor digestion- Bladder 20, Stomach 36 - insomnia- Heart 7

Herbal Medicine Formula: You Gui Wan + Li Zhong Wan

***Usually Kidney Yin and Yang deficiencies are complicated

Principle of Treatment: – nourish Kidney Yin and Yang

Herbal Medicine Formula: Er Xian Tang (this may be taken long term)

***EMERGENCY HEMORRHAGE

Herbal Medicine Formula: Shen Fu Tang + stop bleeding herbs (Xian He Cao, Ai Ye Cao, Bai Ji, Han Lian Cao)

MOXA Du 20

Alternative Treatment Methods for Menopause: 

Ear Acupuncture- endocrine, aubcortex, internal repro. organs, *KI, HT, Shenmen, sympathetic, LR